Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members working at the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) have filed for conciliation to avoid a potential strike.
In a press release, OPSEU said the GRCA is “refusing to treat its front-line staff as fairly as it treats its managers.”
Communications manager Lisa Stocco said the GRCA values the work and contributions of all its staff.
“We are committed to the collective bargaining process, and we will continue to discuss the issues with our OPSEU members in the interest of reaching a mutually agreeable settlement,” she said.
“The GRCA will not be sharing the details of these discussions while negotiations continue.”
In early June, the OPSEU Local 259 members voted in favour of striking and in late June they filed for conciliation. They have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2017.
“These members are showing courage and integrity by standing up for what’s right, and I stand with them,” said OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
“It’s simple, really: you can’t pay your managers on par with what other managers at similar organizations are making, and then turn around and tell your frontline staff they’re out of luck.
“Ontario just elected a government because it pledged to put the ‘little guy’ first. If this employer doesn’t stop putting the ‘little guy’ last, it’s going to have a tough time explaining to the public why it forced its employees into a strike.”
There are 110 GRCA employees who are part of OPSEU Local 259, Stocco said, and they hold various positions including planners, assistant superintendents and environmental officers. The union members are full-time, casual and seasonal staff.
There are two main aspects the union workers are focusing on during the bargaining process.
“They’ve been asking for wage increases that would simply bring their pay in line with workers doing similar work at similar organizations, something the employer has already done for its managers,” the union press release says.
“The Local 259 members are also looking for a commitment from the employer to keep their positions and their work publicly owned and managed by the GRCA.
“But so far, the employer has refused to budge.”
Stocco said the GRCA is currently waiting for a conciliation meeting date.
“Negotiations with our OPSEU members are ongoing, and … we are optimistic that a negotiated agreement will be reached,” Stocco said.
However, she said the GRCA was preparing for a potential strike.
“While we are committed to reaching a settlement, the potential for service disruptions due to a possible strike creates an element of uncertainty,” she said.
“We are preparing a contingency plan to minimize service disruptions to the public as much as possible.”
Local 259 bargaining chair Rebecca Mitchell said the employees don’t want to strike.
“The last thing we want to do is go on strike, especially during camping season,” she said.
“During conciliation, we want the employer to show it values our work, too.”
